Monday, March 12, 2012

Style and substance at Lakme Fashion Week

The last two days of Lakme Fashion Week (March 2-6) were packed with some shows that were a thrill to watch, while others simply fell flat. Designer Narendra Kumar — known for his menswear skills — showcased a big lineup of suited and booted men on the runway.

Standing by the side of the runway and playing his music as his models strutted on the runway; most of them attempting what they cannot do — jiving down the catwalk. It was meant to appear as a fun show, but unfortunately it didn’t.

Earlier in the day, designer Eina Ahluwalia’s accessory presentation looked forced and a pain in the neck for the models who wore them on the runway. Designer Payal Singhal’s offering also leaned more towards jarring than aesthetic when she attempted heavy ornamentation. However, designer Nupur Kanoi made a stylish presentation using long tapes of fabrics in a mesh format to treat the surfaces of her creations. Young Ruchika Sachdeva played well with silhouettes and surfaces. Designer Swapnil Shinde made another space-age presentation — something that he is known for by now.

On Day 5, Dozakh presented a very nice collection of eveningwear that had strategically placed detailing. Designer Arpan Vohra had a stylish lineup with accents and his colour-blocking was particularly notable. Designer Jatin Verma’s contemporary silhouettes proved to be his comeback on the A-list with carefully released colour palette, structured looks, laser cutouts and matt sequins. Although designer Rocky S went the blingy way on his western looks, the show was reverberating because of the music. Malaga by Malini Agarwala had an impressive lineup of embellished bags inspired by Africa.

When the curtains fell at this season’s LFW Summer/Resort showcase, the master once again proved that being a Rohit Bal isn’t an easy task. Silhouettes of Bal’s creations were flowing and carried extensive detailing reminiscent of pieces of art. There was cutwork, embroidery, cord detailing, zari, resham and crystal embroidery on an array of fabrics, birds, peacocks and geometric motifs and in hues of ivory to darker shades of beige, brown, maroon, wine, cobalt, red and purple. It wasn’t just a finale, it was an experience.